5 Shows From 2022 That You Need To Watch

2022 has definitely been a great year for TV shows. From new to returning shows, streaming services have provided us with a lot of content. Because of that, this list feels more like a “Best of the Streaming Services” because each one of the big services except Amazon Prime is represented on this list. Amazon Prime made “Rings of Power.” They know what they did wrong…

So, here are five of the best TV shows released in 2022.

“Severance”

This might be the biggest “WTF is going on?” show of the year. From the very get-go, you’re wondering what exactly is happening and why. 

The show follows a four-man department for a major organization that promotes the “Severed” lifestyle for its employees. This allows the employees to separate their work from their life. Sounds great, right? If only…

The entire show is trying to discover what is going on while focusing on character development — the best kind of mystery. It stars Adam Scott from “Parks and Rec” and Britt Lower from “Man Seeking Woman” along with a slew of performers who knock it out of the park. The show hits right at corporate America and how it mistreats its employees. In fact, there was a part of the show where I paused it and proceeded to go on a 45-minute rant.

You can watch “Severance” on Apple TV right now!

“Moon Knight”

Antio? 

Did anyone play “Age of Mythology” back in the day or just enjoy learning about mythology? This show sent me right into an Egyptian mythology phase, and I didn’t get out of it until several months later. I read as many articles and books as I possibly could to learn about this ancient civilization, but that’s not the point.

This show is about Steven Grant, played by Oscar Isaac, who struggles with a mental illness and is in service to an ancient Egyptian god of the moon, Khonshu, who protects the travelers of the night. Be warned: You do not see the titular hero often in the show because it’s more of a character piece. I say “character piece” because while there is an endgame trying to fight the bad guy, it focuses more on developing the characters. 

Catch “Moon Knight” on Disney+!

“House of the Dragon”

“Game of Thrones” didn’t end on the best of notes, but that depends on who you ask — some say that the show didn’t end at all. After a disastrous series finale, Warner Brothers saw fit to develop a show that takes place several hundred years earlier. The show is based on “Fire and Blood,” which chronicles the fall of the House of the Dragon before the “Game of Thrones.”

“House of the Dragon” focuses on the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen and the decline of their family. There’s mystery, backstabbing, intrigue, plenty of incest that social media is somehow okay with, and, of course, dragons! The biggest standouts are Emma D’arcy, Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, and honestly, many more actors bringing their all to this show. 

The writing is so expertly done that George R.R. Martin himself said that they wrote one of his characters better than he had. Check this show out — you won’t be disappointed! The only thing is that a second season isn’t coming until 2024…

“House of the Dragon” is available on HBO Max!

“Tales of the Jedi”

While a more niche choice for this list, “Tales of the Jedi” follows the early days of Count Dooku and the events of Ahsoka Tano’s life. The show consists of six episodes, ranging from 15-20 minutes, so there isn’t a whole lot to take away. But it’s worth a watch solely for the third episode which takes place right at the end of Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The animation is breathtaking, the writing is superb, and the voice acting is stellar. 

The animation for Star Wars has always been discounted only because it’s animation. But the “Clone Wars” TV show proved that animation can be made for audiences of all ages because of the timeless issues it tackles. It’s absolutely worth your time if you love Star Wars. But even if you aren’t a big fan of the franchise, you may enjoy this.

“Tales of the Jedi” is streaming on Disney+.

“1899”

This is oddly and scarily similar to “Severence” because they’re both shows that ask, “wtf is going on?” There isn’t much I can say about this show that I haven’t already said about “Severance.” 

The show is a history piece taking place on a passenger ship sailing to America. So there are many characters from different countries and backgrounds. This is one of the show’s strongest points: it features characters from different countries who ALL speak different languages. So the show isn’t tailored for each character to speak English. 

The only downside of this show is that Netflix canceled it, so there won’t be a second season. This is incredibly disappointing because the show’s creators made “Dark,” and it was a success for the platform. In addition, social media hasn’t taken kindly to the news because quality programming continues to be canceled while they continue to create garbage like “The Witcher.” I’ve said my peace…

“1899” is available for streaming on Netflix.

Despite being a so-so year for movies, 2022 gave us some really exceptional TV shows! If any of these flew past your radar last year and you’re looking for a way to kill some time, then give one of these suggestions a try. If you’ve already seen any of these, comment below and tell me what you think!

Photo by Alin Surdu on Unsplash